Volvo S90 2017

Following the successful launch of its XC90, Volvo’s next major product offensive comes in the form of the 2017 S90 sedan, on show this week at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, which this week was named 2016 North American Truck/Utility of the Year,

Combining the original P1800 with the more practical body of a sedan and Capturing the beauty of it inspired concept coupe of 2013 , the S90 certainly has the looks necessary to be competitive in the mid-size luxury sedan segment.

In 2010, since the breakup of Ford and Volvo, the Swedish brand has been designing and engineering a new lineup paid for by an $11-billion investment by Volvo’s new owner, Chinese carmaker Geely. Volvo’s solution to life without Ford is an all-Volvo-designed platform called the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). Highly adaptable to work under a variety of cars and SUVs, SPA made its debut with the XC90 SUV. The S90 sedan and V90 wagon are next.

In the S90, the SPA platform offers 115.8 inches of wheelbase, nearly two inches fewer than in the XC90. The front and rear suspension hardware is shared with the XC90, but it’s tuned for the sedan, which Volvo says is 440 pounds lighter. Even if the claim proves true on our scales, Volvo will still end up with a 4300-pound sedan. Keeping weight off is a major challenge when using flexible architectures intended for both SUVs and cars.

It was quiet, too. Although studded winter tires were fitted to our S90 T6 prototype, the car barely emitted a hum. The small but mighty engine and eight-speed automatic come on strong and pull hard. In the 4733-pound XC90, we’ve recorded a zero-to-60-mph run of 6.4 seconds; expect the S90 to dip into the mid-five-second range. The 400-hp plug-in-hybrid system of the T8 will make for an even fleeter S90. As for handling, the combination of a snow-covered track and the studded tires made it difficult to say how the S90 will behave on the road, so we’ll wait to render judgment until we drive the car on dry pavement.

Perhaps the most compelling part of the S90 is its elegant and clean design. Outside and in, the sedan looks expensive without any bit of flamboyance. But it’s not boring, either. It’s a lean car, with low, wide, and long proportions. Aston Martin’s Lagonda Taraf might be prettier, but it costs $1 million, and we’ve barely mentioned the better-looking wagon version of this car, the V90, which is not due until 2017.

The S90 will keep fueling those warm feelings. The S90 gives you a welcoming cocktail consisting of natural finish wood and fine leathers all around, probably the most comfortable and safest seats in the industry, a high-end Wilkins and Bower sound system, a digital dash, air blades straight off the concept car and the Sensus Connect’s large touchscreen getting rid of most buttons for a smooth finish.

We’d guess that a 316-hp T6 will begin in the mid-$50,000 range; the 400-hp T8 should eat up most of $70,000; and the lowest point of entry, the 250-hp T5 with front-wheel drive, should cost nearly $50,000. All three models go on sale this fall.